Electric-car heater.



PATENTED JULY lO, 1906.

H. W. BUCK.

ELECTRIC GAR HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. s. 1900.

Fig. l

.Inventor /WL Harold W BLLCK.

fit/bg.

VVfbnesses. Jig/ improved heating attachment.

same on the line 5 5, Fig. 4.

UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD W. BUCK, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEI/V YORK, AssiGNOR To GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELEOTnlO-CAR HEATER. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 8, 1900. Serial No. 39.139.

Patented J' uly 10, 1906.

To a/ZZ tu/1,0m' it may concern: i

Be it known that I, HAROLD W. BUCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, county of Niagara, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Oar Heaters, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric\ railways; and its object is to provide means whereby an electric-railway car can be heated by utilizing the energy otherwise lost in heating the motor-windings.

Heretofore it has been customary to heat an electric-railway car by means of resistancecoils located under the seats or at any other convenient point in the car. In cold weather the amount of energy required to operate these heaters is frequently as much as ifty per cent. of that required to drive the car. The load on the generators is therefore very greatly increased when the heaters are used, and any device which enables a part of this load to be removed is of great practical value.

In the operation of an electric motor considerable heat is enerated in the motorwindings-so muc that the problem of keeping the motor cool has engaged the at; tention ofl many engineers and inventors. My invention aims to utilize this heat for Warming the car and at the same time prevent the motor from getting overheated.

To this endmy invention consists in -certain devices' hereinafter described whereby the heat generated in the motor-windings is conveyed into the car, preferably by acurrent of air, a supply of fresh cool air being constantly supplied to the motor-casing and the heated air conducted away to registers in the car. Means are also provided whereby lthe hot 'air can escape into the outside air without entering the car in case the Weather is so mild as .to make the heating of the car unnecessary.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electric-railwa car partly broken away and equipped plan view of the car frame and truc showmg the location of the air-pipes. Fig." 8 is a vertical cross-section of thecar on the line 3 3, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detail view ofthe bypass and damper on an enlarged scale.

5 is ajhorizontal bottom plan section ofthe The car A is shown as provided with a single motor B, though it will be understood that my invention can be applied to cars having any number of motors. yThel motor shown is of the well-known railway type, in which the ma net-frame serves as a casing -to inclose the fie -coils and armature.

The car is provided with a pipe O, preferably rather flat to project as little into the car as possible. adjacent to the pinion end of the motor up through the car-body to a point above the roof, where it is provided with a cowl c, facing toward both ends of the caff in order that the motion of the car in either direction shall cause a,current of air to flovyginto the pipe. By arranging the intake at thetop of the car the air is fresh and free from dust. Any other suitable device whether stationary or dynamic may beused to promote a flow of fresh clean air down through the pipe.Y The lower end of the ipe is connected with the motor-casing, preferably by means of a short ilexible hose c and an elbow c2, projecting from thev casing. The flexible hose allows for the vertical movement of the car-body on its springs.

At vthe commutator end of the motor-casing a dpipe `D projects, from which a branch 4The junction of the pipe D with the branch at intervals with regis-- pipe d is con-,

The pipe runs from a point trolled by a damper E, hinged at e and pro'- 'I vided with'suita le means for operating'it-2fv4 .I have shown a reciprocating rod i in a bri'dge G across the o en end of the ipe D and connected by a H with the am.- per. A s

mounted lit pin I, passing through a hole'v 1n the bri ge and the rod, serves to lock. the

rod and the damper in any desired position.

The open ipe D serves as ab -pass, and by manipulatgig the damper the h ot air can be rocl all Asent up into the cark or all' allowed to esj capefthrough the by-p'ass, or part through the.

by-pass and art into the car,:-as the temrature. of t e car may determine. The ow of air through the motor-casing may be caused by the motion of the car or by 4some mechanical device-such, for instance, as the `armatureof the motor, which has a blower action When rotating. tors are especially constructed to take in air nearthe armatureshaft and deliver it at the periphery of the armature. In any event the constant flow of air through the 'motorcasing tends to keep the motor cool, an thereby ,increase its efficiency.

The usual electric heaters may be resorted to in extremely cold Weather or when the car has to stand for any length of time at a station or on a siding; but my invention relieves the generators of a portion ofthe load otherwise imposed on them in cold Weather, utilizes the energy heretofore lost in heating the motor-windings, insures a good ventilation of the car,`,and reduces the temperature of the motor when running.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States7 isl. The combination with a railway-car of an inclosed electric motor arranged beneath the floor of said car, anintakc-pipe extending from above thc roof to said motor, and connections for delivering the heated air to the interior ot the car. y

2. The combination with a railwaycar of' a heater mounted upon the trucks of said car, means for supplying air to said heater, and pipes provided with elastic sections for delivering the air from said heater to thein-` terior ,of the car.

a heater mounted upon the truc-kr. "ol" said car, a stationary pipe extending from above the root1 of the car to said heater and a sec ond. stationary pipe extending from the heater to the interior of the car, and flexible sections located in each of said pipes to permit ot tree movement of the cark relatively to said trucks.

4. 'lliecombination with an electric-railway car, of an air-supply pipe extending from the roof ot the car to the motor-casing, andy air-delivery pipes extending from the motorcasing into the car.

5. The combination with an electric-rail- Some railway-mol Way car, ot' a pipe Jfor conveying` heated air from the motor-casiig into the car, and a by-pss for permitting the air to escape Without entering the car.

6. The combination with an electric-railway car, of a pipe for conveying heated air from the motor-casing into the car, a by-pass opening to the outer air, and a damper controlling the tlow oi air into the car and out of the by-pass.

7. The combination ot' a railwaycar, an electric motor thereon, pipes leading from a source of air to the motor and pipes trom the motor to the interior of said car.

8. The combination with a railway-car and an electric motor thereon, ci' means for passing air over said motor, and a passage for the air thus heated from the motor to the interior of the car.

9. The combination with a railway-car and an electric motor thereon, oi means for passing air through said motor and the passage between the motor and the inside of the car.

10. In electric cars the combination ol a chamber, a heat-generating element ot the electrical equipment of said car contained in said chamber, means `for causing a current of air at substantially atmospheric pressure to lion' through said chamber and for conveying the air thus heated to the interior .of

y l the car. 3. Tne combmatlon with a railway-car ot 11. ln electric cars, the combination of a chamber beneath the floor ot the car, a heatgenerating element .of the electrical motive power equipment oi said car contained in said chamber, means for causing a current of air at substantially atmospheric pressure to flow through said chamber and for conveying the air thus heated to the interior of the car.

ln Witness whereof l have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of December, lQOO.

. HAROLD W. BUCK. lVitnes'ses:

F. L. LovnLAoE, WVM. M. BLAIR. 

